Tenderness Itself
by sturmdrang
Summary: "Anne was tenderness itself and had full worth of it in Captain Wentworth's affections". My take on what this would mean the first time Captain Wentworth fell sick. One-shot. This is my first fan fiction. Please review and let me know what you can think


Anne Elliot opened the note with great trepidation and began to read. She hoped it wasn't anything alarming.

 _My dearest Anne,_

 _I'm afraid I must disappoint you tonight. The pleasure of our first dance in so many,many years must, alas, wait atleast a day more. It is as your wise self foresaw. I am a little unwell- nothing to get concerned about I assure you. Just a little headake, fatigue and mild uncomfortable chillness. Nothing, I'm am very sure, that a little rest and a good night's sleep and a little of your love by return courier won't cure. I pray you don't lose sleep worrying about me tonight._

 _Eagerly awaiting your company at the earliest tomorrow,_

 _Your most loving, most affectionate,_

 _Frederick Wentworth_

Anne sat a moment considering the note and trying to sort out the thousand concerns flooding her mind. She had thought he looked out of sorts that afternoon when they had gone riding- Oh he had been as witty, as brilliant and as decided in his actions as she'd always known him to be. But there was something- something in that energy, that air, that keenness in his eyes that she thought missing and she could sense fatigue beginning to overpower him. She had cut short short their plan for riding to the nearby hill, heard out his ardent protests patiently and had persuaded him to turn back. She was decided in what she must do now. She quickly dressed out of her fine jewelry and ballgown, left a note for her father explaining her absence and set off to Gay street as fast as her strides would take her to find him lying listlessly on the sofa by the fire of the drawing room. She made her way to him as quietly as possible, for she would be loathe to wake him, sat herself on a footstool near him and having assured herself of his breathing with the rise and fall of his chest, reached out her hand to touch his hot forehead while peering intently into his face. She completed this action by smoothing out the hair out of his forehead and kissing the now bare surface to find the corner of his mouth move up a little to form a very weak smile.

His eyes opened slowly and he said, in a hoarse voice, "My guardian angel is come. She shouldn't have strained herself so but I can't say I'm anything other than immeasurably overjoyed to see her. How beautiful she looks even when the creases of solicitude line her forehead. Oh how I long to dance with her"

"Captain...", she began, her voice full of concern

"Frederick", he corrected her as he took her hand and pressed it to his chest, "Frederick, my love , Frederick, my darling"

She smiled and said in the tenderest of voices "Frederick, _mon amour_ , my dearest, my most beloved. How are you feeling?"

"Exceedingly fortunate, exquisitely happy for you are here, my dear Anne", he said archly.

"Yes Sir, I'm here to care for you and I'm not going away till you are recovered"

"And then we'd be married and you need never go away from me, Madam"

"I'm determined to see you recovered much earlier than the one week till our wedding sir!"

"Oh yes! I am regaining health already thanks to the grace of your presence and I daresay, tomorrow morning I will be up and running but might I not be pardoned if I become so accustomed to your tender, loving care to keep wanting to feign illness as the evening approaches"

"I can see through that ruse, my dearest sir"

"And you object, my fair lady?"

" Might I be forgiven if my heart doesn't? And now to business- I must send for a physician for however you try to delude me, the fever still rages and you are fatigued bundle of blankets. I shall ask the cook to fix some hearty soup for you. Here sip this hot water now"

And thus she spent the evening by his side holding his hand when he slipped into derilious sleep, holding his head close to her chest when the headake became unbearable, helped him to water and soup, sponged his forehead when the fever got too hot and during the brief intervals that he was alert and aware, she talked and read and sang for him.

It was 11 pm before the Crofts arrived to find, to their, utter surprise, to find one big hand being held inside two delicate hands and the other big hand holding a delicate head that was fast asleep on what appeared to be a bundle of blankets. It was with great hesitation at disturbing this tender scene that Mrs Croft roused them after making arrangement for a bed on the floor of her brother's bedroom for Anne and after ascertaining herself of her brother's health, entreated them to not hesitate in waking the Admiral and her if there should be the slightest of needs. And when the physician arrived next morning, he had nothing to do other than declare that Captain Wentworth was well on his way to recovery.


End file.
